---
title: Dad in the car: «zib? that's not a word, try again». Mia read it per… — Sounds and letters: how phonics starts · tree and pragmatics
description: Dad in the car: «zib? that's not a word, try again». Mia read it perfectly. What could he say instead? Test 5 of lesson 1 «Sounds and letters: how phonics starts» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice
---

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# Test 5 · Sounds and letters: how phonics starts

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad in the car: «zib? that's not a word, try again». Mia read it perfectly. What could he say instead?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Dad, Mia · **What happens:** not be, try, read, say · **To what, where:** word · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 of lesson 1 «Sounds and letters: how phonics starts» of the English course of Mova's primary school. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/english/1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Dad in the car: «zib? that's not a word, try again».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:1
# text = Dad in the car: «zib? that's not a word, try again».
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	13	punct	_	_
6	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	zib	zib	X	GW	_	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
11	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
15	try	try	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	13	parataxis	_	_
16	again	again	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	13	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is a** *in a quote* | present | Dad in the car | a word |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **try** *in a quote* | infinitive |  |  |  |  | again |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Mia read it perfectly.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:2
# text = Mia read it perfectly.
1	Mia	Mia	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	read	read	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	perfectly	perfectly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** | past | Mia | word |  |  |  | perfectly *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What could he say instead?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:3
# text = What could he say instead?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	instead	instead	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | could | Mia |  |  |  |  | instead *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Good guess, but guessing is how reading works»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:o1:1
# text = «Good guess, but guessing is how reading works»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	guess	guess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
5	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
6	guessing	guess	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
8	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	10	advmod	_	_
9	reading	read	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	amod	_	_
10	works	work	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **guess** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **read** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present |  | reading works |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Only real words count, so it was wrong»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:o2:1
# text = «Only real words count, so it was wrong»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	count	count	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **count** *in a quote* | present | real words |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | past | it |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Brilliant sounding out! It's an alien word»

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «Brilliant sounding out!

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:o3:1
# text = «Brilliant sounding out!
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Brilliant	brilliant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
3	sounding	sound	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
4	out	out	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sound out** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* It's an alien word»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:o3:2
# text = It's an alien word»
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	alien	alien	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a alien word |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«You need to learn that word by its shape»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t5:o4:1
# text = «You need to learn that word by its shape»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	learn	learn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	7	det	_	_
7	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	shape	shape	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** *in a quote* | present | You |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **learn** *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive | You *not said here* | that word |  |  |  | by word's shape | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=Topic |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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